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Installing an automated milk feeder has been part of one Lancashire dairy farm’s drive to future-proof the business.

Since combining genomic testing with a sexed and beef strategy, rapid gain in £PLI has been achieved on the youngstock averaging £154 per head above the milking heifers.

Vaccinating cows with Rotavec® Corona has been part of a holistic approach which has boosted calf health and reduced stress levels for Derbyshire farmer Sam Chadfield.

Automated milk feeding enables Barber’s Farmhouse cheesemakers to successfully rear 600 quality heifers per year from seven of their dairy herds.

Selecting the best females based on genomic testing has resulted in rapid gains at Grosvenor Farms, Cheshire, where top notch management is helping heifers fulfil their genetic potential.

Maximising the genetic potential of your herd is reliant on piecing together every part of the calf rearing jigsaw; from breeding to colostrum, feeding, environment and health planning.

Vaccinating dams and ensuring calves rapidly receive plenty of high quality colostrum is part of an ‘immunity-led prevention’ strategy which will help boost health and performance.

As we approach the middle of July, our preparations for harvest in the north east of Scotland get into gear, with sheds to muck and wash, combines to be serviced and guttering to clean and repair.

To supplement three JCB telehandlers, one Devonshire hay and straw merchant opted for a brace of JCB Fastrac 4220’s carrying colour-coded Quicke 6M loaders. Geoff Ashcroft finds out if the investment has proved worthwhile.

Eight years after its launch, Fendt’s 724 remains a favourite for many buyers. But can it go the distance? One Essex contractor believes so, and his 8,000-hour model remains the firm’s go-to tractor. Geoff Ashcroft reports.